It’s not what you would ever expect. Kissing a baby is supposed to be an act of love. But for a 24-day-old baby named Eloise, it was an act that caused this infant to die.

After being emergency airlifted to a hospital in Brisbane, she was diagnosed with herpes simplex virus from likely a cold sore or fever blister. The mother explains what happened:

“I don’t suffer from cold sores and was never really aware of them, but doctors told me that they think my daughter caught the virus one or two days after birth.”

She now wants to share her tragic story in order to raise awareness and hopefully prevent other mothers from going through the same horrific experience that she went through. Remember, it is vitally important to thoroughly wash your hands when handling a baby, and not to kiss newborns on the mouth.